Entangled
by Hardly Here
Summary: What happens when a half-demon is not a half-demon, and a hunter is not a hunter? Edge/Morrison request for MikaTheHedgehog057
1. Chapter 1

"Mark."

Edge bowed respectfully before the master hunter, bending forward at the waist, a well-practised angle of fourty five degrees. Mark, the hunter known as Undertaker inclined his head to acknowledge his friend, and welcomed him into the house.

"Has the creature brought you any information?" asked Edge.

"None as yet. He is... a little strange. For starters he's a hybrid, but not by birth. So he's different."

They descended the stairs to the basement, and Edge tensed. The harsh fluorescent lights and the sudden chill of the freezing air reminded him of Christian.

"I can assure you we will not be long down here," Mark sense the younger man's unease almost immediately; his uncanny knack for sensing his friend's exact feelings was a trait he was well known for. It was what had kept him alive many times previously.

He flicked on some more lights, and Edge found himself staring at the half-demon he had helped capture about a week ago. It had been dark that night. Rainy. All he remembered was the splash of mud, the dull thud as the other creatures rained blows on them, Mark choking out an incantation... Then the stench of blood, and the sour tang of stale air from the grave. Wet clothing, soaked skin, the injured half-demon.

For a second, frightened brown eyes had been illuminated in the moonlight. They told stories of pain, suffering and near-madness – and they look so old... so tired...

They were eyes that didn't belong to the young creature which now lay before them. His hair was still a damp mess, dried blood and dirt caked his tattered clothing and his chest rose and fell rapidly with shallow breaths. It shivered uncontrollably – the frigid air of the basement mustn't have done him any good. The only new things were the pinpricks of needle points which marred his skin. A by-product of their interrogation techniques. A flicker of something, a recognition perhaps, passed through Edge's consciousness.

The light caused the hybrid creature to stir. His eyes fluttered open, glowing a fiery red before fading back to their original brown. It took a few moments for him to get his bearings, but when he realised Mark was there, he leapt forward as far as his chains would allow and began snarling at Mark like a wild dog. Edge noted absently that the skin around his wrists was chafed and bleeding in some places.

"Do you remember my friend?" smirked Mark, his face inches from his captive's. It growled and snapped its teeth at his nose in reply.

"He was the one who trapped you."

A flicker of recognition, and a fleeting instant of fear crossed its face.

"I see you do remember me." Edge moved closed so he could look the half-demon in the eye. It only strained harder against the chains, sweat and dust glistening on the exposed parts of his skin.

"Would you like to question him? Perhaps you will have more luck. He doesn't fear me."

Edge nodded, not taking his eyes off the strange creature which was thrashing about so violently.

"Show if you need me." Mark turned to leave.

"Yessir."

Mark raised an eyebrow, and Edge tore his gaze away from the half-demon, bowing quickly.

"Sorry."

"Don't overdo it."

"Yessir."

Edge returned his attention to the half-demon, which continued to rage until the basement door slammed shut. Then suddenly, silence. Its shoulders slackened, its arms dropped to its sides and it collapsed onto its knees, panting heavily. His head fell forwards and he slumped with a show of exhaustion that seemed terribly uncharacteristic for a demon.

"What the hell?"

It flinched at the sound.

"Well." Edge had no idea where to start. He was just kind of thrown by the whole situation. Holy water.

Edge grabbed a syringe and a vial from the cupboards of supplies and brandished it in what he hoped was a confident manner.

"Please," it gasped as he moved closer.

"No more... please." It raised its head and looked up at him. Those familiar brown eyes.

"Please. I told your leader, I have no idea of what the other demons are planning."

That gaze did not lie. The creature seemed too tired to keep up a facade anymore, and the raw confusion and hurt Edge could see was enough to convince him, at least. Still, Mark wanted hard proof.

Edge held his hand up in front of the half-demon's face. There was enough slack in the chains for it to jump forward and bite it, poisoning his blood, but it made no move to do so.

"Speak the truth."

"I do. I know nothing about the demons."

"So why were you with them?"

"Unfortunate circum-" it broke off into a hacking cough.

"Cicum-" It clutched at its chest, wheezing. What kind of a demon got sick?

"Circumstances." Said Edge, unthinkingly reaching out to rub lightly at the creature's back. Usually he was very good at distancing himself from the things he hunted. It was easy – they were so far from human their disgusting death cries meant nothing to him. But this one... aside from being able to actually string a proper sentence together, was strangely humanlike. Although it looked a mess, it had a strange beauty about it. It felt natural trying to sooth his pain. God, he was burning up. He could feel the heat radiating from its skin through the thin material of its clothing.

"Water?" it pleaded, causing Edge to jump back.

"Oh shit!" Edge was wrenched back to reality, staring at his hand as though he had just petted an echidna.

"Water?" It coughed again, drawing a pang of sympathy from Edge. He recalled an old tale of a hunter, who, fed up with his life had captured a half-demon and spent his life taming it... Old lore, but truth nonetheless. He pulled a water bottle from his backpack and held it out. It fumbled with the cap for a while; his hands were shaking with weariness and numb with cold.

"Here." Edge opened the bottle for him. It drank gratefully.

"My name is John." It said, once it had finished.

_A half-demon with a name?_

"Is that... How do you..."

"I'm a special case." It said, placing the bottle before him and backing away respectfully so that Edge could get it.

"Thanks."

"I apologise for before... the Undertaker does not understand I am not a feral beast. It confuses him. It scares him. And then he beats me."

Edge nodded – Mark was known for his more... physical side, at least among the creatures he hunted.

"How do you know I'm any different, though?" Asked Edge, kneeling beside the creature. It inched shyly towards him, and when Edge showed no sign that he was going to lash out, it lay its head tentatively on his knee, savouring the warmth.

"I know you, Adam."


	2. Chapter 2

The door at the top of the stairs suddenly opened wide, and the formidable silhouette of Mark filled it somewhat overdramatically.

"Any progress?" he asked as he descended. John immediately began to snarl again, and Edge had to jump back quickly as the half-demon strained against his bindings. Mark chuckled.

"Don't get so close, it bites."

"I noticed..." Edge met John's eyes again; they were pleading with him. He was nearing exhaustion.

"Mark, he was telling you the truth. He knows nothing of what the demons are planning."

The big man raised an eyebrown.

"Are you certain?"

"Absolutely."

"Well. He is of no use to us then. We should dispose of him." He reached for the blade at his side.

"N-no!" Edge flung his arms out to stop him, but found Mark's powerful hand around his throat.

"You forget yourself, _friend." _he growled, suddenly furious.

"S-sorry..." choked Edge.

The blade which never left Mark's side was cursed. It would kill demons, but if the blade ever changed hands it was death to the former owner. Nobody touched the Undertaker's blade.

"Now," Mark's tone was friendly again. He released Edge and smoothed back his golden hair, flicking an invisible bit of dust from his shirtsleeve.

"Why would you be wanting to save this one?"

John let out a hoarse scream so loud it shattered all conversation for a moment. To Mark it was just another yowl from an ungodly creature, but Edge heard the note of desperation in it which was meant for him.

"I... uh..."

_Shit think thinking thinking I can't fuck um think_

"You owe me a car."

Mark blinked.

"Are you serious?"

"Well, you do!"

"Edge, now is not the time to bring up that incident..."

"You totalled my car, but I'll absolve you of the debt."

"_Absolve_ me? Oh father, I'm not _worthy_" smirked Mark.

"You know what I mean! Just... give me the creature and I'll call it even."

"You want a fucking _half demon_? What're you going to do, go home and give him a bubble bath?"

"I can explain-"

"Go ahead."

Edge glanced nervously towards John. He was beginning to cough again, and his chest heaved as he struggled for air.

"Give him to me first, then I'll explain."

"Is this because of his strange behaviour? Because "

"Just give him to me!"

"What the fuck is going on?"

"_Now,_ Mark-" Edge reined himself in. Calm. " Mark, it's important. Please."

"Whatever. He's yours." Mark tossed him a key from his belt."Now what's going on?"

He spoke to thin air; Edge had rushed to catch his new prize as he simply folded up with a small whimper.

"Don't touch it!" growled Mark, "Have you gone mad?"

John was hunched over on the freezing concrete, coughing madly into his sleeve. His face was flushed with exertion and when the attack was over, he slumped forwards, ragged gasps tearing through his lungs. Edge rubbed at his back to try and calm his breathing.

"That thing is not natural." Said Mark angrily, "You must destroy it."

"Would you stop just for one second!" Asked Edge fiercely.

In any other situation Mark would have backhanded Edge for that, but he was way too bewildered to notice. Edge was whispering softly to the creature. He rubbed at its chest and back to try and relieve the pain, and was giving him water from his own bottle. God-be-damned, he was even allowing the creature to lean on him to catch his breath.

"What is going on?" Growled Mark.

"Don't you get it? This one's special. He isn't an animal, he's not going to bite me... and he's sick."

"Demon's don't get sick,"

"_Exactly_."

"I don't trust it."

"_Him._ His name's John."

"A _name_?"

"Yes. I'm going to keep him."

"Edge, this isn't some kind of puppy. He's a half-demon. They are a crazy, unpredictable,_ feral_ breed. You saw him before."

John ducked his head, blushing furiously.

"Does that look feral to you? Besides-" Edge unconsciously wrapped an arm around the skinny man's shoulders, "He's of interest to me."

"Yes?"

"He... he called me by my birth name."

Mark drew in a sharp breath. "Christian..."

"I think so."


	3. Chapter 3

**I shoulda mentioned this earlier but the fic is based on an old song by Genesis**

**It's called Entangled, and it's basically about recovering from a long illness, in a creepy hospital of doctor-scientist-hypnotists. It's beautiful and disturbing at the same time.**

**X**

"I suppose you'll want to investigate this further."

"With your leave."

Mark grunted. He didn't like the idea, but Edge had been waiting for a chance to find Christian for a long time. Perhaps the creature was the best chance he'd ever get of finding him.

"One week. We still have pressing matters on our hands."

"Of course," Edge bowed respectfully, then returned his attention to his new pet. He quickly unlocked the shackles around his wrists and ankles, wincing inwardly when he saw the chafed, raw skin. Mark stopped him when he got to the collar, though.

"Keep that on. Insurance. You were always too trusting."

Edge nodded his consent and pocketed the key.

"Can you stand?" He asked softly.

Instead of replying, John grabbed the wall and pulled himself upright. He didn't look like he would hold on for long though; Edge took him by the hand and led him slowly up the stairs.

"Be careful, Edge. One wrong move and you waste him, hear?"

"Yessir." Edge nodded his farewell and went out the door, John now leaning heavily on his shoulder. The poor thing had to stop to catch his breath once they were outside, and halfway to the car he collapsed. The outside wind was bitter, and Edge shrugged the jacket from his shoulders and wrapped it around the shivering creature, scooping him up to carry him the rest of the way. John clung to him, resting against his shoulder like a weary child. He lay him down in the passenger seat, then grabbed a blanket from the boot to keep him warm. He should have left it at that, but lingered momentarily to brush at the soft strands of hair which fell on John's cheek. Lucky for him that exhaustion had claimed him a few moments ago.

X

_Sleep_

_Won't you allow yourself fall?_

_Nothing can hurt you at all_

_With your consent I can experiment further still_

X

Whiteness tugged at the edges of John's vision. Everything in the room was so bright... white in colour... spotless... everything seemed to glow with an unearthly light which stung his eyes. Perhaps it was just his vision going; he couldn't remember the last time he had been allowed him to sleep properly. Or eat, for that matter. It didn't matter that his body was being nourished via the various tubes that pierced his skin; his stomach didn't know that and by now hunger clawed viciously at his insides.

He was in a case. Made of glass, or maybe plastic. He was chained firmly to the floor of it, so he couldn't really move to find out.

If he shifted painfully to the left, he could make out a long line of glass cages identical to his own which stretched down an impossibly long laboratory.

He had grown to loathe the knowing smirk of his tormentor. He knew the man's name... though his brain was far too muddled to dredge it up from his memory at the moment. For a while, he had also hated the taller man. The assistant. Although he had a good three inches on his employer the way he cowered before him made it seem as though he were much smaller.

Sometimes, if the specimens were lucky, he would sneak in after the scientist had left and switch the heating on. From the desolate landscape of the glass box, it was an unimaginable luxury. It reminded him of home, of his life before. He barely felt human anymore...

No comfort for them tonight, though. Tonight it was cold, bitterly so, and the scientist was working late. He had the top of John's case open and was injecting him with something.

_If he keeps this up I'm not going to have any blood left, just his fucking chemicals._

Suddenly, a red-hot bolt of electricity shot through his veins, and there was no room left for thought, only pain.

"Adam! It's working."

"Fuck you."

A yowl of pure agony brought their attention back to him.

"God, it works fast."

John felt something burning away at his insides, a prickling at his eyelids. A gloved hand grasped at his chin, digging deeply into the flesh.

"Open your eyes."

John squeezed them shut immediately, but the pricking was become an unbearable stabbing pain, and his eyes shot open.

"He's turned. Oh god, it's gorgeous."

"Fuck you."

"He's going to get violent for a bit... it's only norm-" the scientist jumped away as John gave way to the urge to bite him.

"This is amazing. I'm going to loosen him a bit."

"This is wrong."

_Yes it is... but god I just want to..._

John felt the bindings around his arms loosen, and he lurched forwards, snapping his teeth uncontrollably.

_What is happening to me?_

He continued to rage and snarl at the scientist, the agony of the chemicals pumping through his veins destroying all capacity for words. He simply growled and shouted furiously. It was as though he had gone mad, and a part of him realised that perhaps he had. Another scream tore from his lungs, and in the midst of the convulsions tears began to trickle unheeded down his cheeks.

The chemical reached its final stage, and a sudden surge of adrenaline pumped through him and he was able to tear his right arm free and clamp it firmly around his tormetor's neck...

_John... shit... stop_

The strained words registered in John's ears although the scientists lips weren't moving. The whiteness was intensifying around him like an all-consuming fire. Was this what it was like to die?

For a fleeting second it blinded him, and then he realised he was on top of someone, teeth bared and ready to strike the flesh of someone's arm. His hand was wrapped firmly around someone's neck.

"John..." gasped Edge, finally able to push the confused half-demon off himself. John toppled over onto the floor easily, utterly drained and panting hard.

Edge too was fighting to regain his composure.

_One wrong move and you waste him_ – Mark had been quite firm.

John began to cough again, and buried his face in his arms shamefully. For the first time in years he had felt... normal. Wanted. Now the goddamn fucking scientist had ruined it for him once again. A dry sob mingled with the coughs, and he hunched over and began to cry.

"Shit," breathed Edge. The realisation hit him hard. He had been an... accomplice. It was partly his fault that John was here, tortured and ill and god knows what else.

In his fevered dreams, John had acted out every word, wrenching the memory from a part of Edge's mind he preferred to keep pushed away. And he finally understood. Fuck what Mark said, he couldn't waste him now. The poor creature was a wreck.

Edge knelt beside John, trying to ease his ragged breathing. John jumped and stopped crying immediately when his hand made contact. He tried to scoot away – he hadn't forgotten what Mark had said.

"It's okay." Edge reached out to him, but he dragged himself further away, pressing himself firmly against the wall.

"I'm not mad at you." Edge approached John slowly, mindful that the injured creature wasn't doing himself any good pressed up against the wall like that.

"I know you used to be a human. I... there were so many... I didn't recognise you."

John gazed up at him, brown eyes still wide with terror. The way he was looking up at him, he looked so confused. So... innocent. He wasn't cut out to be a creature of the night.

"I am... so sorry," Breathed Edge. He knelt down in front of John and cupped his chin tentatively. John cast his gaze to the ground and took a long, shuddering breath. When he didn't pull away, Edge reached out with his other arm and hooked it around his waist, pulling him close. Once he realised Edge wasn't going to hurt him, John clung to him, savouring the warmth of the larger man's body.

"You're warm," he mumbled, "You always kept me warm."


	4. Chapter 4

Two days passed. John healed quickly, the demon blood in him making short work of his injuries. The nightmares persisted though, and Edge moved another mattress into the room so he could comfort the young man when the terrors of the night became overwhelming. John was never himself at night. In his panic he would revert to his baser, more animalistic instincts. While it meant that he could have attacked unpredictably, it also meant that it became acceptable to pet the poor thing until he fell back asleep. He doubted normal rationalisation would have worked, anyway.

By the afternoon of the third day John's wounds had all but completely healed over; though he was still weak, at least he wasn't in pain. His eyes still had a weary, haunted look about them but given the circumstances it was to be expected. Edge had fixed them a light lunch, which they ate outside on the veranda. Edge's attempts at coaxing information out of John had so far fallen flat, the man hadn't said a single word since that first night. He was beginning to think he might have to be more... forceful with the half-demon, but the thought of being cruel made him feel slightly ill.

John nibbled delicately at his pasta for a while, but now that he wasn't being starved anymore he seemed to have lost his appetite.

"You're going to use me to get Christian."

Edge nodded.

"That's right. But you already knew that."

John fell silent and began picking at his lunch again.

"You have to understand my position, John. Taker is a very-"

"What happens after I help you find Christian?"

It finally clicked. He was scared.

"You stay with me. I'd let you go, but Taker'd have you shot the moment you're out of my sight."

John visibly relaxed – god, he'd been positively quivering with fear. He blushed and bit his lip to keep the huge grin from his face.

"I wouldn't just leave you, you know," Said Edge.

_You did once before though, didn't you?_

Edge shook the thought from his head, and instead grabbed John's fork from his head, spearing a bit of pasta. He waved it at John, who opened his mouth obediently.

"If you don't eat, you'll likely disintegrate the next time the wind blows too hard."

A nod, and a faint smile.

"Thank you."

They finished their meal in silence, although they both knew what conversation was coming when they were done.

"Tell me what you know about Christian."

John let out a small sound, almost a whimper, but caught himself.

"I left... a few months ago. There was a fire, and a..." he paused, searching for the word.

"A riot. From some of the stronger experiments."

A chill breeze passed by them both, and john shivered, although to feel the wind on his face was a welcome relief.

"Want to go inside?" asked Edge

John shook his head

"I like it out here. I can breathe."

Edge nodded and went inside with their bowls, returning a few minutes later with a blanket, which he tucked around John's shoulders. John nuzzled at his hand slightly while he did so, murmuring his thanks. He was already sleepy, his body having burned up his energy healing his wounds. He forced his eyes open though, and continued.

"He took the rest of us, the ones he could control, to a different place. I wasn't really... I don't know where it was." He said this last part like it was a terrible confession, and braced involuntarily for a beating. Instead he jumped, when Edge reached out and squeezed his shoulder.

"Don't sweat it. Just tell me what you can remember."

John chewed on the side of his lip as he thought. It wasn't the most attractive of expressions but somehow Edge found it endearing.

_Whoa, focus. You have a job to do._

"I remember it was damp. Sometimes he could cough a lot. Our boxes were climate controlled, so we were safe. It used to please me to see him suffer."

He drew the blanket a little tighter, unsure if he had said too much. When nothing happened, he continued.

"It smelled of smoke all the time... a funny kind of smoke. It wasn't normal wood, it was... peat... or something. And every day a bell would ring off in the distance..."

Edge squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed at them irritably.

"Two bells. One low and one higher one, am I right?"

A nod.

"I know where he is. Bastard's taken over my old house."


	5. Chapter 5

_Sometimes entangled in your own dreams..._

X

_My research is beginning to show some promise of results. The first experiment yielded some interesting reactions to the endurance tests. It seems to have developed some hypersensitivity, but I believe that will fade once his nervous system has finished adapting to its new physique. _

_It is responding brilliantly to the endurance tests – it can run, as far as I can tell, at least five times as fast and long as it could when in its human state, even when in pain. It is far more than I anticipated for the first experiment; indeed I believe I am closer than I had previously thought._

_The only problem is it seems to have inherited too much of its human emotional range. This must be fixed for further experiments. We cannot have these creatures simply... crying._

X

The scientist made him run. Run on one of those infernal contraptions he used to use when he was human and visited the gym. It hurt, every time the soles of his feet hit the moving belt a bolt of pain would shoot up his leg, but he knew unless he 'yielded results' he would not be allowed to rest.

No rest... just pain... and running on the spot for god knows how long. The scientist laughed as John panted, shaking the sweat-soaked hair out of his eyes, and turned up the speed.

"Does this hurt?" murmured the scientist absently. He prodded lightly at John's shoulder, and he arched as pain shot through his entire core. He squeezed his eyes shut against the light, which sent an almost intolerable thudding through his skull. Then a hand grabbed his arm, and John felt for a fleeting moment as though it were being wrenched from its socket, howled piteously with the last of his strength and then blacked out.

X

John surfaced as if from the bottom of a deep, dark lake and found himself sitting in the car with Edge. The elder man was just pulling the car to a stop by the side of the road.

"God, that was one helluva nightmare," he murmured, parking the car. Night had fallen and they had reached a dusty old country road, deserted for now.

John found that his throat was dry, and all that he could say in response was a hoarse croaking sound.

"Here." Edge held a bottle to his lips and he gulped gratefully; the water was blessedly cool.

"Will we be there soon?" he breathed, "We're getting close, I can feel it."

The link he shared with the other experiments, his other... brothers. He could sense that they were closer to him, and a slight panic began to build in his chest. The only times he had felt the connection had been the worst times in his life.

"You going to be okay?"

John nodded and settled back in his seat. He couldn't help but feel a little guilty, they should really have been sharing the driving between the two of them but it was something you didn't learn while shut up in a glass box. And Adam, well, he looked exhausted already - not a good sign.

"Are... are _you_ going to be okay?" asked John timidly. Edge scrubbed a hand over his eyes and chuckled.

"I've been awake for days before, my line of work. Once I pass my sleep window it'll be alright."

The sharp ringing of Edge's phone brought them back to reality.

"Hello?"

"You better be on the trail, the way I see it you got three days left until you're back on the demon case with the rest of us," growled Mark's familiar voice.

"We're on our way now, you can track my phone if you need to know our position."

"Hold your position, I'm sending a team out to meet you. The situation just got a little more complicated than we thought."


End file.
